COLOMBO — Sri Lanka said Tuesday it did not need the final tranche of a $2.6-billion IMF bailout thanks to the country's healthy foreign exchange reserves.   The loan was granted in 2009 by the International Monetary Fund just after the end of the country's bloody ethnic civil war

Reuters: Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meet this week amid a standoff over the Central Bank’s defence of the rupee currency, which has cost $ 2.6 billion in foreign exchange reserves since July – the same amount the global lender has pledged to loan. Bucking

Treasury (T) Bill weighted average yields (WAYs) at last week’s weekly primary auction remained unchanged for the third consecutive week, last week, but those are not market determined yields, a market source told this reporter. Even in the case of US Treasuries, yields move at least one or two basis points (bps) up or down, ...

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka recently unveiled its pioneering Sixth Strategic Plan – communicating in all transparency its plans for the forthcoming financial period – based on the theme ‘Raising the Bar’. The Sixth Strategic Plan, like its predecessors, takes root from the policy measures underscored in the ‘Mahinda Chinthana,’ and is formulated to ...

Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal has been increasingly under attack by UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva over some of the policies, actions and comments of the professional-turned-politician-turned-Chief of the monetary regulatory authority. Cabraal’s ambitious and robust Roadmap for 2012 and beyond too had come under critique as being overconfident. However, this is unlikely to ...

Reuters: The rupee dived to its lowest level ever on Monday as investors sought refuge in the dollar after factory output data pointed to a further slowdown in Asia’s third-largest economy. Traders said further falls were likely after the partially convertible rupee fell 1.53 percent to close at 52.84/85 to the dollar, its biggest one-day ...

Reuters: China’s central bank plans to create a new vehicle to manage investment funds worth a total of $300 billion to improve returns on the world’s largest stockpile of foreign exchange reserves, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The vehicle, which was planned

Parliament yesterday passed the 2012 budget with 151 votes for and 50 against, giving the nod to an overall increase in spending by 14 per cent and a shock 3% currency devaluation that has already been put into effect. The budget reading last week was overshadowed by the president’s announcement of a 3% currency devaluation ...

By Ian The President in his speech at the opening of the Southern Expressway said that this could be the beginning of building a modern society. He also mentioned that had there been such an expressway linking the north with the south the extremists would not have succeeded in capitalising on the mistrust among communities. ...

 Conflicting views remain after Budget’s 3% devaluation move PB says rupee should be market-driven; Cabraal says will defend Conflicting views on the country’s currency remain with Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera saying it should be market-driven, whilst Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal maintains that it will be defended. The simmering or what seems to be ...

Good governance activist and former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chandra Jayaratne is raising issues of accountability on the part of Central Bank over past management of foreign exchange, following the 2012 Budget’s devaluation move. “With the Budget directing the Central Bank to depreciate the Sri Lanka Rupee by 3%, the Central Bank ...

Multilateral donor emphasises devaluation should help exports, reserves Opines 2012 Budget consistent with earlier plans Withholds eighth tranche of $ 2.6 b loan; mission in Jan The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that Sri Lanka’s devaluation of its currency was a “step in the right direction” that should favour export competitiveness and preserve foreign ...

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) – The outlook for Pakistan’s economy for the current year ending June 2012 is “challenging,” with global investors more risk averse, the IMF said on Tuesday, adding that ongoing security concerns are likely to limit capital inflows. The country’s authorities have expressed commitment to implement reforms in an attempt to enhance ...

Reuters) – The head of the International Monetary Fund warned on Wednesday that Europe’s debt crisis risked plunging the global economy into a “lost decade” and said it was up to rich nations to shoulder the burden of restoring growth and confidence. Christine Lagarde told a financial forum in Beijing that European plans to bolster ...

Reuters: The head of Europe’s bailout fund said on Friday he does not expect to reach a conclusive deal with Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing but expects the surplus-rich country to continue buying bonds issued by the fund. Klaus Regling, chief executive of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), said the bailout deal ...

BEIJING (Reuters): China urged the European Union on Monday to deal with its debt crisis as soon as possible and prevent contagion from spreading, as the country’s number four-ranked leader arrived for a visit of the continent, including Greece. “We hope that the EU countries concerned will reach a comprehensive settlement plan as soon as ...

Representatives of 28 members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) including Sri Lanka met in Bangkok on 11 and 12 October to discuss Asia-Pacific perspectives on the agenda of the G20 summit to be held in Cannes, France, on 3 and 4 November 2011. Central Bank of ...

China’s foreign exchange reserves hit a record $3.2017 trillion at the end of September, compared with $3.1975 trillion at the end of June, the country’s central bank said Friday The country’s forex reserves have ballooned in recent years, fuelled by strong foreign investment

Leif Lybecker Eskesen, Chief Economist for HSBC India and ASEAN will visit Sri Lanka this week. During his visit, he will address the Bank’s corporate customers on ‘Asia’s Inflation – Growth Tango: who’s dominating the dance?’ at a special Power Breakfast, scheduled to be held on 7 October 2011, at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. Leif ...

IMF urges more exchange rate flexibility CB defends interventions as necessary More discussions expected in Washington this week Reuters: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday said there has been no timetable set for a review of Sri Lanka’s progress under a $2.6 billion loan, the precursor to disbursement of the programme’s eighth tranche. The global ...

Last week, media were abuzz with two reports on how undesired exchange rate movements could worry governments. One was a currency under pressure for appreciation in the market and the other was a currency moving in the opposite. Swiss Franc: One way Journey to Appreciation The first was the case of the Swiss Franc which ...

LONDON: Here’s a bold prediction to feed Western worries that power is shifting inexorably to the East: China’s yuan could overtake the US dollar as the world’s principal reserve currency as soon as next decade. Beijing has been promoting the use of the yuan beyond its borders since 2009 to settle trade transactions. The resulting ...

TOKYO: Japan unveiled a $100-billion effort to help companies cope with a surging yen, signalling that officials may be resigned to the currency remaining high. The government will release foreign-exchange reserves to the state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation for funding to aid

By Dr. S. Narapalasingam The current moves of the powerful government in post-war Sri Lanka are mainly for sustaining the wartime military strength, preventing the resurrection of the smashed LTTE and developing the infrastructures, notably the roads and rail network,...

Fitch Ratings today (21) affirmed Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ‘B+’, and simultaneously revised the Outlook to ‘Positive from Stable’. Following is the full text published by Fitch on Sri Lanka: Fitch Ratings has today affirmed Sri Lanka’s Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ...

Sri Lanka may not tap loans from the International Monetary Fund immediately as foreign-exchange reserves have climbed to a record, Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama said.

By Rakteem Katakey and John Duce Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora traveled to Nigeria, Angola, Uganda, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela this year, leading a record number of delegations to gain oil for the world’s third-fastest-growing major economy....